American Heart Association
Life's Simple 7
How to Manage Weight
Keep Track
Understanding how many calories you take in and your activity level can help you identify changes you want to make. To lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you eat.
Reduce Calories In: Keeping track of what and how much you’re eating can help you know whether you’re eating out of habit, stress or boredom instead of real hunger.
Increase Calories Out: An activity tracker can help you track how much physical activity you get.
Learn Your BMI
Body Mass Index (BMI) is a numerical value of your weight in relation to your height. It can help you know whether you're at a healthy weight or need to lose weight. You can calculate your BMI online or see your health care provider.
Tips for Success
- Control Portions: Learn about portion sizes and how much you might really be eating.
- Get Active: Sit less, move more and add intensity to burn more calories and improve your overall health.
- Eat Smart: Follow a healthy eating pattern that emphasizes vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, legumes, nuts, plant-based proteins, lean animal proteins and fish. Limit sweetened drinks, processed meats, refined carbohydrates like added sugars and processed grain foods, full-fat dairy products, eggs, highly processed foods, tropical oils like coconut and palm, and sodium. Make smart substitutions when cooking, snacking and dining out.
- Get Help: If you aren't able to lose weight successfully on your own, talk with your health care provider.